Flying-machine.



G. EJSMITH.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 17, 1910.

1,080,726, Patented Dec.9,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES." l gig/yak Ema/may.

c. SMITH. FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1'7 1910.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

WITNESSES.-

ATTORNEY.

CHARLES E. SMITH, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Application filed June 17, 1910. Serial No. 567,389;

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in F lying-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as i will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying draw-' ings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the aeroplane'type and it consists in certain improvements in such machines having for, their principal objects to increase the stability and facilitate the control thereof,

certain parts appearing in section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said machine; Fig. 3 a plan; and, Figs. at and 5 sectional iews of details The bodyof the machine comprises a suitable frame a, which in plan has an oblong contour and in side elevation appears tapering at both ends, that is, so as to have substantially the form of a cigar, and a coverifng b which entirely closes the space of the rame.

Describing the frame in detail, it com-' prises a series of pairs of uprights 0 and a series of pairs of cross-pieces d, the several cross-pieces and uprights .being joined together by the longitudinal girths e and the whole being strengthened and made rigid and substantial, though light, by the wire or other braces f. Fig. 4 shows the form which each of the uprights, cross-pieces and girths may by preference take for the purpose of lightness as well as strength: A plate 9 of sheet metal, preferably aluminum, is bent longitudinally along parallel lines, its outer or edge-portions being bent up to such a position that the plate in cross-section assumes the form of an isosceles triangle; in

addition, for the pur ose of imparting added strength and t a 0rd means to which to g body.

secure the covering 6, a plate h of sheetmetal (preferably aluminum) is introduced between the longitudinal edges of the plate 9, its edges being turned off at right angles and the one riveted to the plate 9 and the other serving as the part to which to secure the cover, it. having holes [to receive securing rivets or the like. The covering 6 is also preferably formed of sheet-aluminum or other suitable strong and light material, it being secured to the frame so as to conform to the contour thereof, as shown; at the points 7', j, j the covering may be of transparent material, allowing the operator (who occupies the interior of the body of the machine) the necessary outlook, and at k a door may be formed in the covering. From the line Z-downwardly, the body of the machine is water tight; otherwise it is closed sufficiently tight at all points to keep out the outside atmosphere so that the operator will not be afiected by the higher and hence colder altitudes.

m and n designate two pairs of Wheels on which the vehicle may run on land, the body of the vehicle having a cushioned support on such wheels, as indicated by the springs 0 in Figs. 1 and 2, and the wheels n having the steering spindles 39 provided at their upper ends with the cranks 1', reference to which will again be made.

Within the body, at about the middle and at the front of the body the supply u for the fuel for the engine, which ,may be connected with said supply by. the valved pipe '0. J

w is the propeller arranged on the shaft :1: which is connected with the drivingshaft of the engine by any suitable transmission mechanism y,- only one propelling means is shown, but it is to be understood that I am not limited to theuse of but one, or to its disposition at theback of the machine.

a is a vertical shaft journaled in the front portion of the body, the same carrying the rudder or lateral steering device which in 105 i this instance is formed of two planes 2, '2, one above and the other below the nose of the body. In the tail or rear part of the body is journals-d a horizontal-shaft 3 on which, at each side of the body, are arranged the altitude rudders or planes 4; said shaft carries a crank 5 disposed within thethereof, is arranged the aviators seat .9; at the back of the seat is disposed the engine 25 6 designates a plurality of frames which extend upwardly from the body of the machine and carry the curved planes 7, the curvature of each plane being transverse and the concave side of each plane facing downwardly; the planes 7 are preferably arranged at different elevations, and each extends to the right and left beyond the sides of the body, the extensionportions 7 of each plane being hinged to the corresponding intermediate portion so as to fold downwardly fiat against the sides of the body, the hinges being designated as 8.

8 designates removable braces retaining the extensions 7 in their horizontal positions.

A little forward of the middle of the body of the machine and near the top of said body are journaled the horizontal shafts 9 having, within the body, the cranks 10 and, outside of the body and standin close to the sides thereof, the triangular frames 11. To the lower end of each frame 11 on a horizontal axis 12 therein is pivoted a laterally projecting plane 13 which extends laterally considerably farther than the planes 7. Each plane 13 may be braced by a detachable link 14 connecting its outer portion with the upper part of the frame 11. Each plane 13 consists of a skeleton or frame 15 having a covering 16 of aluminum or other suitable material. The component parts of the frame or skeleton 15, for the purpose of lightness and strength, are formed of crosssect-ionally triangular metal strips of substantially the form of the cross-pieces, uprights and girths of the frame of the body of the machine already described in connection with Fig. 4. In cross-section, each plane 13 appears as in Fig. 5, which is a sectional view on the line ww of Fig. 3.

The planes 7 and 13 are operative principally 1n supporting the machine when in flight; and it being observed that they are all arranged above the heaviest part of the body (that is its bottom portion, where the operator, the engine, the fuel and the running gear are disposed) the stability of the mach ne is preserved without resorting to warping planes or other special stabilizing means; moreover, since the sides of the body are perfectly flat from end to end, they offer broad surfaces against which the pressure of the air may act to resist any tendency of the machine to fall away laterally.

Within convenient'reach of the aviators seat are arranged the several controlling devices. At 18 are disposed treadles within convenient reach of the operators feet which are connected with the cranks 10 by the pitmen 19; by pressing upon a treadle 18 the corresponding plane 13 will be turned in the dlrection of the arrow in Fig. 1 around the shaft 9 as an axis, the pressure of the air on the part of the plane 13 back of said axis (which has greater area than the part thereof forward. of said axis,) normally operating to maintain the plane in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In front of the operators seat is arranged a hand-wheel 20 carrying a sprocket 21 around whichfand a sprocket 22 on the shaft .2 extends an endless chain 23 for controlling the rudder. Another sprocket 24L, alined with the sprockets 21 and 22, carries on its shaft 25 a crank 26 in the slot 27 of which is received the pin 28 of a link 29 connecting the cranks r on the spindles of the steering wheels 17.. Thus when the hand-wheel 20 is manipulated the steering wheels as well as the rudder are turned. The altitude rudder 4 is controlled from a lever 30, the opposite ends of which are connected with the rudder by the flexible connections 31 passing around pulleys 32. By turning the lever 30 one way or the other the rudder 4 will be turned on its axis 3.

33 designates an electric controlling means for the engine extending within convenient reach of the operators seat.

One important function of the planes 13 is to assist the rise of the machine from the water. By including the planes 13 to the necessary extent, (their forward edges being elevated) the machine being in motion in the water will be assisted materially in changing from the floating to the flying condition.

The purpose in hinging the extensions 7 and in pivoting the planes 13 to the frames 11 is to permit these parts to be folded in fiat against the sides of the body. Upon removing the braces 8', the extensions 7' may be folded down. And on turning the frames 11 so that they project forward of their axes 9, the planes'13 may be folded backward flat against the sides of the body. (The dot-anddash outline in Fig. 2 shows the position of one of the planes 13 after the frame 11 thereof has been turned to the horizontal position and before the plane has been folded back.) The rudders 4 being now removed from the shaft 3 and the said shaft withdrawn, the entire width of the machine is approximately only as wide as the body thereof.

If desired, the parts 3, 4, 5, 31 and 32 may be duplicated in the forward part of the machine, as indicated in dotted outline by the characters 3', 4, 5, 31 and 32', the object of which is to increase the facility of control with respect to the up and down directions, it being remarked that in such an arrangement the pivoting movements of the parts 4 and 4 will be preferably simultaneous, but in opposite directions, so that if one of the rudders tends to raise one end of the machine the other will tend to depress the opposite end.

Having thus fully described my invention,

1,oso,72e

what I claim as new and desire to secure by all points and its side walls vertical and substantially parallel with each other from end to end thereof and its top wall sloping downwardly and its bottom wall upwardly at each end of the carrier, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a planiform supporting means arranged substantially horizontally and a hollow carrier for the aviator sustained by the supporting means and having its exterior walls closed at substantially all points and its side walls vertical and sub-.-

stantially parallel with each other from end to end thereof and its top wall sloping downwardly and its bottom wall upwardly at each end of the carrier, and said carrier being arranged in pendant relation to the supporting means, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a planiform supporting means arranged substantially horizontally, a hollow carrier for the aviator sustained by the supporting means and having its exterior walls closed at substantially all points and its side walls vertical and substantially parallel with each other from end to end thereof and its top wall sloping downwardl and its bottom wall upwardlyat each end 0 the carrier, and said carrier being arranged in pendant relation to the supporting means, planes pivotally movable around transversely extending axes and projecting laterally from the carrier and means for controlling said planes, substantially as de-,

scribed.

4. The combination of a carrier for the aviator, frames each pivoted therein on a transversely extending axis, and separate planiform supporting means each projecting laterally from the carrier and pivoted to one of said frames on an axis extending transversely of thevaxis of pivotal movement of said frame, substantially as described.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand, this 15th day of June, 1910. I w p Y 1 O. -E. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. STEWARD, WM. D. BELL. 

